India's highest paid women CEOs

India's highest paid women CEOs

In the world of billionaires and highest-paid CEOs, women are not easy to spot. But they are there, marginalised in number but not in merit. Here’s a look at some who have made a name for themselves through sheer grit and hard work.

India's highest paid women CEOs

But in seven years flat, Piramal, who is also a wildlife enthusiast, succeeded in turning the fortunes of the group, which now has diverse business interests - real estate, textiles, engineering and sports.

India's highest paid women CEOs

The 71-year-old former chairperson of Thermax, an energy and environment engineering business, is close behind Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as the 55th richest Indian whose net worth increased from Rs 4,488 crore (Rs 44.88 billion) in December 2012 to Rs 5,023 crore (Rs 50.23 billion) in December 2013.

India's highest paid women CEOs

A Padma Shri recipient for her social work, particularly in the field of primary education, she has proved more than once that she has what it takes to emerge stronger from setbacks.

And there have been quite a few of those: the death of her husband, the death of her 25-year-old son, Kurush, in a road accident and the time when Thermax's share prices nose-dived from Rs 400 to Rs 36.

India's highest paid women CEOs

That’s when she decided to take hold of the reigns of the cement business which he had started in 1982. She would go on to become the first woman president of the Cement Manufacturers Association (2009 to 2012).

The transformation has been startling and laudable. People recall how this once shy wife of a businessman had walked up to Pranab Mukherjee, who was then the finance minister, and told him that cement was sold at half the cost of scrap paper.

She was making a case for reducing cement taxes. Singhania’s pay cheque has gone up from Rs 5.91 crore (Rs 51 million) in 2011-12 to Rs 8.17 crore (Rs 82 million) in 2012-13.